A German shepherd in New York has officially become the country’s first dog to test positive for the novel coronavirus, a federal agency said this week.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday announced the German shepherd is the first dog to test positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes a COVID-19 infection. The dog, which is expected to make a full recovery, was tested after “it showed signs of respiratory illness,” per a news release from the USDA.
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“One of the dog’s owners tested positive for COVID-19, and another showed symptoms consistent with the virus, prior to the dog showing signs,” officials said, noting that a second dog in the household tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, suggesting it was likely exposed to the novel virus despite the fact it has not shown signs of illness.
A private veterinary lab first tested the German shepherd, resulting in a presumptive positive. The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) later confirmed the results with its own test.
The dog is expected to make a full recovery, officials said. (iStock)
“While additional animals may test positive